What happens when you are elected leader of the Labour Party with a massive mandate but a small minority where it most matters? Jeremy Corbyn is not the first Labour leader to find himself in this position and so we should consider what he can learn from the last one who faced a similar, perhaps […]
How can Corbyn lead a party when he’s in a small minority where it matters most?
Jan 20th, 2016 by Jon Lansman.
Make Labour’s rules up as you go along is still the 4.5%er preference
Jan 19th, 2016 by Jon Lansman.Last night, the parliamentary Labour party debated and agreed to ballot Labour MPs on a rule change from Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey – two of the MPs who last year nominated Liz Kendall – which sought to eject from his place on Labour’s national executive Steve Rotheram, MP for Liverpool Walton who nominated Andy Burnham. […]
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Good lesson by John Redwood for Lord Mandelson on effective opposition
Jan 3rd, 2016 by Jon Lansman.Every so often, a Tory politician exposes the hypocrisy of a Blairite far more effectively than we could. Such is the case in John Redwood’s very effective critique of Lord Mandelson today for wanting “Corbyn to be more Blair like to justify his support and recommendation. The first is the UK’s willingness to undertake military […]
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We may not like Simon Danczuk but he is entitled to fair treatment and natural justice
Jan 1st, 2016 by Jon Lansman.I am not a fan of Simon Danczuk although in all my encounters with him he has been unfailingly polite and courteous which does count for something. He has a number of political views I don’t share, he shows far too little respect to a newly elected leader of the Labour Party, and some of his […]
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Lies, distortions and misconceptions about Momentum and the lobbying of MPs
Dec 5th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.Following the Syria debate on Wednesday and the prior lobbying and demonstrations, media descriptions of the abuse and bullying tactics directed at MPs reached a crescendo. Thursday’s Daily Mail, for example, under a double-page headline “hard-left hate mob target MPs“, carried a picture purporting to show them outside the home of Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow […]
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Oldham by-election triumph for McMahon, Corbyn & the late Michael Meacher
Dec 4th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.At 7pm yesterday, the Daily Mirror was predicting a “dismal result for Labour” in the Oldham West and Royton by-election. Winning with a majority of 10,722 or 38.7% was a spectacular result for Labour, for Jim McMahon, for Jeremy Corbyn and, it must be added, for Michael Meacher who had held the seat for 45 […]
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Labour’s shadow cabinet must not split the party over going to war
Nov 27th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.The shadow cabinet yesterday discussed David Cameron’s plan to go to war in Syria. A majority of its members favour backing airstrikes in spite of the four conditions laid down by Labour’s conference only two months ago not being met. It is unclear whether there is a majority of members favour imposing a whip in support […]
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The SNP motion on Trident was a sectarian stunt, not a blow for disarmament
Nov 25th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.The motion which was put down in the name of SNP Westminster MPs yesterday “that this House believes that Trident should not be renewed” had nothing whatever to do with advancing the cause of disarmament or preventing the renewal of Trident. That is an objective the SNP does not share. If they did, they would seek to […]
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Backing for Corbyn has increased amongst party members says Times poll (updated)
Nov 24th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.This article has now been updated based on the full YouGov tables now published, which also reveal that opposition to austerity now stretches right across Labour’s political spectrum. The Times (£) has revealed that backing for Jeremy Corbyn amongst those who voted in the contest has increased from the 59% who voted for him to 66% who […]
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Post-Paris massacre poll shows UK public oppose Syria airstrikes – MPs take note
Nov 18th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.The vast majority of the British public do not believe that British airstrikes on Syria are the right response to the Paris massacre, says a poll published today. Nor do the public believe past airstrikes have made the UK any safer. What most people want is a joint international approach backed by the UN, and for […]
